Rebuilding the Wall
by Alyxzia
Summary: A missing scene from Return of the King: Minas Tirith, before Gandalf and Pippin make it to Minas Tirith.


**Rebuilding the Wall**

"'Fix the wall, Ingold', he said. Fix _that_ wall?" Ingold grumbled to himself as he strode angrily through the Fifth Circle. Residents of Minas Tirith jumped out of his way as he stormed past. The thunderous expression of the tall mans face kept even the braves of souls from approaching him. Ingoldin a temper could rival Mount Doom: highly volatile and twice as explosive.

"He hasn't even seen the flaming wall. And me wants me to fix it! Stupid man." Ingold's rant continued. "Get off your seat and take a look around. The city is falling to pieces, we are all but leaderless, and you want me to fix a useless wall!"

Ingold halted in front of a closed door. Inside his men would be sleeping after spending the night (and most of the morning) at the Beer Bottle, an inn situated in the Second Circle. Ingold opened the door with such force that the door slammed against the inside wall and bounced back again.

"Warrt freat rowe?" Drunken speech came through the darkness.

"Up. Get up." Ingold shouted as he opened the window, pushing the shutters back. Sunlight streamed into the room. Groans of protest came from every occupied bunk. Ruffled head appeared from underneath blankets before ducking back under due to the bright sun's glare.

Ingold tapped his foot impatiently. His men looked rotten, they would be all but useless for the next few hours until the intensity of their hangovers wore off. Never the less, they all had to get up anyway.

"UP!" Ingold shouted causing the men all to jump. "We've been ordered to repair the outer wall. Now!"

Slowly the men emerged from their blankets.

"Please tell me that you are kidding." Adrahil all but pleaded.

"Sorry." Ingold said. "This was not my idea, but we have a lot of work to do out there. Get your boots on." Ingold looked around at his miserable men who were fumbling with their clothing, and curing their buttons.

"I expect you all down at the stables in the First Circle. The wagons are being loaded as we speak." Ingold told his men. "Anardil, you Taran and Adrahil leave your horses in their stables, you three are to drive the trays. You are to be ready and at the stables in 15 minutes."

With that, Ingold turned on his heel and left the men's quarters.

Within the hour, Ingold was leading all his men out to the damaged section of the wall. In silence they stood around simply looking at the extent of the damage.

"We will never fix this by the fall of night." Anardil moaned.

"We have to have it finished." Ingold snapped turning to the man. "Unless you want to be the one to report our failure?"

"We will not fail, not if we all work together." Taran interrupted, stepping between the two men. Ingold nodded stepping backwards.

"Anardil, you take your wagon and some men. You organize the repair of where the wall is crumbling over on the western side." Ingold commanded. "Adrahil, you take the second and salvage as much of the fallen stone that is still useable. Taran, scout around for any material that could be used to help support the weak spots."

The designated team leaders nodded and all the men broke off into their groups to work.

The day passed and already a vast improvement had been made to the wall. Only one section remained to me mended. A few men were resting in the twilight while others hammered at portions of stone to be fitted into the wall. Torches had been lit all over the place for both light and heat.

"A horse!" A sour broke through the clinking hammer sounds. "There is a white horse approaching. It is moving swiftly." In an instant the dozing men were on their feet.

"Block the gateway." Ingold commanded. The response was instantaneous. Half the men crowed around the gate, while the others continued their work on the wall to repair the remaining gap.

"Halt!" Ingold ordered the approaching rider. "State your business with Gondor."

The white horse continued to approach the barred gateway. As the animal drew neared, the milling men would see that it carried not one, but two riders. Ingold recognized the Mithrandir was one of the mounted.

"Do you not know me, Ingold?" Mithrandir asked.

"Yea truly, we know you, Mithrandir." Ingold replied

_The book Return of the King: Minas Tirith (pg. 779) takes over from here.  
The names Anardil and Adrahil are borrowed out of Gondor's history, Taran is made up, and they do not appear in the book LotR._


End file.
